Grinding

Hae-Won sat alone in an abandoned structure, lost in thought, still reeling from his encounter with Jin-Ho-Sung. The memory of their meeting lingered in his mind, Jin's words ringing clearly as if they'd just been spoken: *"The Trial of Yōkai."*

He stared at the map on his system screen, showing the location of the Trial marked far from his current position. The challenge felt like an insurmountable distance away, a test of endurance as much as strength. Hae-Won sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "What a pain… I've got nothing better to do, huh?"

Days passed in a blur as Hae-Won journeyed towards the Trial. His resources dwindled, and he faced minor foes along the way, but the promise of progress kept him moving forward. When he finally arrived at the entrance of the Trial of Yōkai, his eyes widened at the ancient, ominous structure towering before him, a gateway leading to the unknown.

**[SYSTEM MESSAGE: Trial of Yōkai - Enter at your own risk.]**

With a deep breath, Hae-Won stepped forward, and the Trial began. Wave after wave of Yōkai surged towards him, each wave consisting of fifty monsters. At first, they were lesser creatures, easy enough to take down. Hae-Won's strikes grew sharper with each attack, his movements faster as he adapted to the rhythm of the fight.

But as he progressed through the waves, the Yōkai changed. They grew larger, more intelligent, and their attacks became deadlier. His system screen notified him of each monster type and rank increase, a relentless onslaught that left him with barely enough time to catch his breath.

Hae-Won fought through exhaustion, his body aching with each successive wave, but his resolve never wavered. *I have to get stronger,* he reminded himself. *If I want to survive here, I have no choice.*

After hours of fighting, his persistence paid off. His system screen flickered, displaying a list of rewards he'd earned from the countless Yōkai he had defeated.

**[SYSTEM MESSAGE: Items Obtained – Master Rank Upgrade Achieved.]**

He sank to the ground, breathing heavily, feeling a new power surging within him. A faint smile played on his lips. He was no longer the weakling he once was. With this strength, he could face even greater foes. But the thought of Jin-Ho-Sung still lingered—one day, he would reach that level.

---

Meanwhile, in another part of the VillainVerse, Mi-Na's journey had progressed differently. As a seasoned gamer, she approached her situation with efficiency and strategy, leveraging her vast knowledge of the game's mechanics and systems. She navigated the VillainVerse with ease, climbing the ranks faster than she could have imagined.

She had quickly risen to Rank 500, gaining the respect and fear of countless other masters. Her system screen displayed a new title she'd unlocked:

**[SYSTEM MESSAGE: New Title Gained – Queen of Pride]**

Mi-Na smirked, feeling the rush of power that came with her title. It was fitting. She'd built herself up from nothing, and now, even in this world, she was a force to be reckoned with. But her mind kept returning to Hae-Won, her best friend. She knew he was somewhere out there, and while she had no doubt he was struggling, she had faith in his resilience.

A notification popped up on her screen, a message from the system reminding her of her new rank and the challenges awaiting her. With a renewed determination, Mi-Na readied herself for what lay ahead, fully intent on finding Hae-Won and bringing him home.